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ED78.08: Environmental
Quality Management

Chapter 5 [Part 2]
Environmental Quality Standards
Dr. Ekbordin Winijkul
Semester: January 2019

Photo source: BDC, 2018

5.10 Examples of Environmental Quality Standards

•Air

•Water

•Soil
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5.10.1 Air Quality Standards

• Ambient Air Quality Standard WHO Air Quality Guideline for Particulate Matter

• Air Quality Index

• Emission Standard

(1) Ambient Air Quality Standards

• Legal limits placed on levels of air pollutants in the ambient air that cannot
be exceeded during a given period of time in a specific geographical area

• US: The Clean Air Act requires EPA to set National Ambient Air Quality
Standards for pollutants considered harmful to public health and the
environment --> identifies two types of standards
• Primary standards provide public health protection, including protecting the health
of "sensitive" populations such as asthmatics, children, and the elderly
• Secondary standards provide public welfare protection, including protection against
decreased visibility and damage to animals, crops, vegetation, and buildings

• Thailand: ambient standards are not based solely on air quality criteria, but
are also based on a broad range of economic, social, technical, political
considerations
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Typical Components of Ambient Air Quality Standard

Typical Components of Ambient Air Quality Standard
• Pollutants • Averaging Periods (Averaging time)
• Particles/Gases • Short-term (1-, 8-, 24-hr)
• Primary/Secondary pollutants • Long-term (annual)

• Standard Types • Allowable Exceedances

• Primary
• Secondary
• Final Rule Cite/Effective Date
• Concentrations
• Parts per million volume (ppm) • Measurement methods
• Gas
• Mass per unit volume (μg⁄m ) Conc. in [mg⁄m ] = 0.0409 × Conc. in [ppm] × MW
• Particle & Gas (at 25℃, 1 atm)
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US Ambient Air Quality Standard

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Thailand Air Quality Standard

(2) Air Quality Index (AQI)

• Calculation:
• Used to report to public on overall
assessment of a given day’s air quality I −I
I = X −X +I
X −X
• Calculated for all pollutants, but the
pollutant that give the highest AQI will • X = monitored concentration
represent the overall AQI at that
location • X = min. conc. in the range
• X = max. conc. in the range
• Classifications of pollutant • I = AQI of pollutant (i)
concentration and index are different • I = min. index in the range
in different countries
• I = max. index in the range
• AQI = max. (I )
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Thailand Air Quality Index Classification

AQI
PM . (μg⁄m ) PM (μg⁄m ) O (ppm) CO (ppm) NO (ppm) SO (ppm)
24-hr average 8-hr average 1-hr average
0-25 0-25 0-50 0-35 0-4.4 0-60 0-100
26-50 26-37 51-80 36-50 4.5-6.4 61-106 101-200
51-100 38-50 81-120 51-70 6.5-9.0 107-170 201-300
101-200 51-90 120-180 71-120 9.1-30.0 171-340 301-400
> 200 ≥ 91 ≥ 181 ≥ 121 ≥30.1 ≥341 ≥401

AQI Air Quality Meaning

0-25 Excellent Good air quality for outdoor activity
26-50 Satisfactory Good air quality for normal outdoor activity
51-100 Moderate Sensitive group should reduce the time on outdoor activity
101-200 Unhealthy Normal people should monitor their health; Sensitive group should limit outdoor
activity
> 200 Very unhealthy Avoid outdoor activity 9

(3) Emission Standards

• legal requirements governing air • Typical Components
pollutants released into the
atmosphere • Pollutants

• Source & Fuel & Size

• set quantitative limits on the
permissible amount of specific air
• Emission level name
pollutants that may be released
from [specific sources]
• Level

• Example: g-PM/km, g-SO /kWh • Implementation date (or plan)

• Warrantee period
• Sources: vehicle, industry, etc.
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European Vehicle Emission Standard

Light duty vehicle emission standards

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Thailand Power Plant Emission Standard

Power Plant Type TSP (mg⁄m ) SO (ppm) NO (ppm)
(Size and Fuel type)
Coal
• ≤ 50 MW 80 360 200
• > 50 MW 80 180 200
Oil 120 260 180
Natural Gas 60 20 120
Biomass 120 60 200

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5.10.2 Water Quality Standards

• Defines the water quality goals of a water • Typical Components
body by designating the use or uses to be
made of the water and by setting criteria • Parameters
that protect the designated uses
• Sources/factory types
• Provide water quality for the protection and • Standard values
propagation of fish, shellfish and wildlife • Concentration, such as [mg/L]
and for recreation in and on the water • Mass loading, such as
[kg/day]

• Serve the dual purposes of • Surface water classification

• Establishing the water quality goals for a
specific water body
• Sampling/Analytical
• A regulatory basis for the establishment of methods
water-quality-based treatment controls and
strategies 13

(1) Thailand Surface Water Quality

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(2) Thailand Industrial Effluent Standards

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Pollution Discharge Limits for the city of Hailey, Idaho

Parameter Average Average Weekly Limit Instantaneous
Monthly Limit Maximum Limit
BOD 30 mg⁄L 45 mg⁄L N/A (Not
43 kg⁄d 64 kg⁄d Applicable)
Suspended solids 30 mg⁄L 45 mg⁄L N/A
43 kg⁄d 64 kg⁄d
E. Coli bacteria 126 per 100 mL N/A 406 per 100 mL
Fecal coliform bacteria N/A 200 colonies per 100 mL N/A
Total ammonia as N 1.9 mg⁄L 2.9 mg⁄L 3.3 mg⁄L
4.1 kg⁄d 6.4 kg⁄d 7.1
Total phosphorus 6.8 kg⁄d 10.4 kg⁄d N/A
Total Kjeldahl nitrogen 25 kg⁄d 35 kg⁄d N/A

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5.10.3 Soil Quality Standards

• Formulated for the purpose of • Typical Components
preventing soil pollution, protecting the
environment and human health and • Parameters
safeguarding agroforestry production
• Standard values (mg/kg)
• Provides the allowed concentration
limit of soil pollutants and monitoring • Land types (Agricultural, Industry,
methods according to soil use functions etc.)

• Sampling/Analytical methods
• Applies to different types of soil, such
as farmland, vegetable field, industry
area
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Thailand Soil Quality Standard (1)

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Thailand Soil Quality Standard (2)
5.11 Role-Play on Setting Ambient Air Quality Standard
• Role-Play Situation:
• Factory A has been operated in Pathumthani, Thailand
since 1980. This factory emits Carbon Disulfide (CS )
through the stack, and possible, from the material
storage, production line, around the factory
• Players
• The current ambient standard was set at 180 μg⁄m
(24-hr average)
• Ambient CS concentration around the resident area has
been monitored by the EPD with the level of 300-1000 ppm
during 2000-2010
• WHO provides the recommended level of CS in ambient at
100 μg⁄m
• US set the standard for ambient H S as 28-180 μg⁄m
• Residents around the area has been affected (smell,
hospital admission, etc.) by the CS from the industry
• Industry started to install AC Adsorber to reduce and
recover CS in 2010, and found that it can reduce the level
of emission at the stack from 1500 ppm to 700-1000 ppm.
However, residents still complain about the smell of
pollutant from the industry
The DIW called for a meeting to negotiate on a new
ambient standard
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• Air quality modeler ran the model and found that:
• Ambient level of 120 μg⁄m can be achieved with
emission of 800 ppm at the stack
• Ambient level of 100 μg⁄m can be achieved with
emission of 700 ppm at the stack
• Player 1-4: Government officers
• Department of Industrial Works (DIW) [Chair]
• Environmental Protection Department (EPD)
• Pathum Thani Environmental Department
• Player 5-6: Air Quality Modelers (Academic)
• Player 7-9: Factory representatives
• Manager of Environmental Department
• Environmental Scientist/Engineer
• Technical staff
• Player 10-16: Residents around the factory
• Affected by the pollutant from the industry
• Some also work at the factory
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